Combine Results

Grade

4.75 SEC

26 REPS

34.5 INCH

118.0 INCH

7.35 SEC

4.50 SEC

Draft Analysis:

"If you look at what Jacksonville is doing, I like this pick. He's a designated pass-rush guy. He can't be on the field for run plays. He's a chess piece in the pass game; quick and explosive." -- Mike Mayock

6'2" Height

32 1/2" Arm Length

252LBS. Weight

9 1/2" Hands

Overview

Born in Washington, D.C., Ngakoue stayed nearby for college after an excellent high school career. He was named the D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, racking up 17 sacks and leading Friendship Collegiate to a district title. Nkagoue got his feet wet as a true freshman, making 10 tackles, 4.5 for loss including two sacks, and an interception playing every game as a reserve. His play as a sophomore earned honorable mention notice from league media (37 tackles, 13.5 for loss and six sacks) and portended better things to come. Quarterbacks in the Big Ten did not appreciate his improvement in what proved to be his final collegiate season -- he set a Maryland record and finished tied for second in the country with 13.5 sacks (within 15 total tackles for loss).

Analysis

Strengths

Flexible and athletic with a chiseled frame. Produced 45 quarterback pressures and 13 sacks this season. Plays with plus motor. Slippery with ability to find his way into a play even though he's being blocked. Impressive lateral quickness to escape reach blocks and create perimeter contain against the run. Stays low, creeping around the corner before exploding up to the quarterback on twists. Plays with some hip flip around the corner as a pass rusher. Suddenness to unlock a more dangerous inside move.

Weaknesses

Needs to improve timing of the snap. False stepper as stand­up rusher and takes five steps to gain five yards when bursting upfield. Pops upright out of his track stance rather than firing up the field. Several sacks the result of extended plays or being unblocked. Engrossed with blocks in front of him and loses track of the ball. Lacks quick shed hand strength or an ability to impact game at the point of attack.

Draft Projection

Rounds 4 or 5

NFL Comparison

Jackson Jeffcoat

Bottom Line

Lacks the desired height and length from an edge player, but does have the athleticism and production teams like. A deep dive into the tape reveals very few "instant wins sacks" and his short strides prevent him from threatening the edge as often as you might expect. While Ngakoue appears to have the traits of an upfield player, he was asked to set edges at Maryland. His production from 2015 will intrigue teams, but he is a work in progress who needs a more developed skill set as a pass rusher if he wants to become a factor in the NFL as a starter.